How much should one expect to make doing weddings? at DVinfo.net

Adam Grunseth · April 15th, 2006, 04:00 PM

Hi Everyone,

As I have said before on this board I am fairly new to the wedding video arena, however I have done a handful of wedding videos now and have some very satisfied clients- so I'm looking at raising my prices and getting more serious.

When I first figured out how much I wanted to charge, I looked at the cost of equipment, travel, and how much time goes into a wedding video. Then I figured how much I want to make an hour. I had set the amount I wanted to pay myself per hour based upon the pitiful amount I make at my day job (editor for a cbs affiliate). So I am trying to figure out how much I want to pay myself an hour now, so I was wondering what can a wedding videographer expect for an annual income?

Joe Allen Rosenberger · April 15th, 2006, 04:23 PM

Adam....this is such a general question and there are so many factors to consider. How many weddings do you want to do per year? You could become a "higher" priced company and do less weddings but make the same if not more than the low budget or medium priced guys. The sky is really the limit....how well you market yourself....your word of mouth....your quality.....your personality.....and on and on will dictate in the end what your gonna make in this game. Our first year doing weddings.....we set our goal at 25K worth of wedding business and wound up doing over 60K....and thats at a package price of 2K per wedding(nothing less), we obviously are doing something right, and weddings are only part of what we do as a production company.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Grunseth

Hi Everyone,

As I have said before on this board I am fairly new to the wedding video arena, however I have done a handful of wedding videos now and have some very satisfied clients- so I'm looking at raising my prices and getting more serious.

When I first figured out how much I wanted to charge, I looked at the cost of equipment, travel, and how much time goes into a wedding video. Then I figured how much I want to make an hour. I had set the amount I wanted to pay myself per hour based upon the pitiful amount I make at my day job (editor for a cbs affiliate). So I am trying to figure out how much I want to pay myself an hour now, so I was wondering what can a wedding videographer expect for an annual income?

Don Bloom · April 15th, 2006, 04:34 PM

Yep, What he said :-) and add that geographic area (location), demogrphics of the area (average yearly income), marketplace (how many wedings in the area and how much do they spend on a wedding) also play a hugh part in the formula. Add what Joe said and these items and you should be able to figure out a number. If you feel you can live on it great if not...then its up to you.

I know people that barely make enough to pay for tape stock and a few others that make a very nice 6 figure income-most are somewhere in the middle.

Don

Adam Grunseth · April 15th, 2006, 05:04 PM

I guess a numeric figure wasn't exactly what I wanted. Just in more general terms i was wondering if wedding videographer makes more then the local areas median income, less then the midean income, or falls right in the middle?

Don Bloom · April 15th, 2006, 05:37 PM

Again, very difficult to answer. Some make far less and some make far more plus for those that make FAR more it takes some time to get to that point. I've been doing weddings (and other work) for over 20 years and I can say that there have been some very very very good years and some not so good years but even that's relative to what 1 considers good or not good. Here's the thing-you'll not become wealthy doing weddings BUT you can make a good and decent living doing it but again tht all depends on what you call good and decent. For some $30K a year is great for others it won't pay the mortgage. Can you earn enough to pay the bills? Yes, I've paid my bills, brought up 3 kids and have taken some really nice vacations in the last 23 years I've been in the video business-am I wealthy? WRONG!!! BUT I have paid my bills and since I am a bad employee (I don't work or play well with bosses) being self employed is for me at least the only thing I could do and I had to make it work. Rich --- nope, decent living --- yes. Beats workin' for someone else.

Hard to answer as everyone has a different need.

Don

A.J. Briones · April 15th, 2006, 05:53 PM

i think there's enough business out there for everyone, and you can take as much as you want if your quality of work is good and you have to have the other essentials to get brides to sign.

i love my day job and i'm never ever going to quit that, in fact, if i had to choose just one, i'd stop doing weddings. that said, i love doing weddings. we limit ourselves to 20 weddings a year @ an average of $2,500 per wedding. it's enough work to have fun with it, keep it fresh, and still maintain the best day job in the world. it's only april and we're no longer booking for 2006, and will only take appointments for 2007 and beyond.

April 15th, 2006, 04:00 PM	#1
Adam Grunseth Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Eugene Oregon Posts: 393	How much should one expect to make doing weddings? Hi Everyone, As I have said before on this board I am fairly new to the wedding video arena, however I have done a handful of wedding videos now and have some very satisfied clients- so I'm looking at raising my prices and getting more serious. When I first figured out how much I wanted to charge, I looked at the cost of equipment, travel, and how much time goes into a wedding video. Then I figured how much I want to make an hour. I had set the amount I wanted to pay myself per hour based upon the pitiful amount I make at my day job (editor for a cbs affiliate). So I am trying to figure out how much I want to pay myself an hour now, so I was wondering what can a wedding videographer expect for an annual income?

April 15th, 2006, 04:34 PM	#3
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Yep, What he said :-) and add that geographic area (location), demogrphics of the area (average yearly income), marketplace (how many wedings in the area and how much do they spend on a wedding) also play a hugh part in the formula. Add what Joe said and these items and you should be able to figure out a number. If you feel you can live on it great if not...then its up to you. I know people that barely make enough to pay for tape stock and a few others that make a very nice 6 figure income-most are somewhere in the middle. Don

April 15th, 2006, 05:04 PM	#4
Adam Grunseth Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Eugene Oregon Posts: 393	I guess a numeric figure wasn't exactly what I wanted. Just in more general terms i was wondering if wedding videographer makes more then the local areas median income, less then the midean income, or falls right in the middle?

April 15th, 2006, 05:37 PM	#5
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Again, very difficult to answer. Some make far less and some make far more plus for those that make FAR more it takes some time to get to that point. I've been doing weddings (and other work) for over 20 years and I can say that there have been some very very very good years and some not so good years but even that's relative to what 1 considers good or not good. Here's the thing-you'll not become wealthy doing weddings BUT you can make a good and decent living doing it but again tht all depends on what you call good and decent. For some $30K a year is great for others it won't pay the mortgage. Can you earn enough to pay the bills? Yes, I've paid my bills, brought up 3 kids and have taken some really nice vacations in the last 23 years I've been in the video business-am I wealthy? WRONG!!! BUT I have paid my bills and since I am a bad employee (I don't work or play well with bosses) being self employed is for me at least the only thing I could do and I had to make it work. Rich --- nope, decent living --- yes. Beats workin' for someone else. Hard to answer as everyone has a different need. Don

April 15th, 2006, 05:53 PM	#6
A.J. Briones Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 275	i think there's enough business out there for everyone, and you can take as much as you want if your quality of work is good and you have to have the other essentials to get brides to sign. i love my day job and i'm never ever going to quit that, in fact, if i had to choose just one, i'd stop doing weddings. that said, i love doing weddings. we limit ourselves to 20 weddings a year @ an average of $2,500 per wedding. it's enough work to have fun with it, keep it fresh, and still maintain the best day job in the world. it's only april and we're no longer booking for 2006, and will only take appointments for 2007 and beyond.